VA under fire for backlog in benefits payments to veterans

9:27 AM,
Jul. 14, 2014

Acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Sloan Gibson speaks during a news conference at the VA Medical Center in Washington, Wednesday, June 18, 2014. The VA, under fire for delays in health care, is now facing criticism for a backlog in paying compensation to those wounded or injured or who grew ill from service in uniform.

Written by

Gregg Zoroya
USA Today

The federal department responsible for caring for America's veterans, already mired in scandal over delays in health care, continues struggling with another major responsibility: paying compensation to those wounded or injured or who grew ill from service in uniform.

While the Department of Veterans Affairs managed last year to reduce a huge backlog in veteran claims for money, it was at the expense of appeals to those decisions, which are rapidly mounting, according to testimony slated for Monday by the VA Office of Inspector General.